The Police Investigations Department announced that four YSM police officers were interrogated on suspicion of assault and obstruction of interrogation moves • "The suspects were released under restrictive conditions and the investigation is ongoing," it was reported.
MK Kasif at the time of filing the complaint against the police officers in the DIP offices
Photo:
Saria Diamant
A day after MK Ofer Kasif filed a complaint about his assault by police during a demonstration in East Jerusalem, the Police Investigations Department (DIP) today (Monday) investigated four YSM police officers on suspicion of assault offenses and obstruction of investigation in the incident.
"As part of the investigation, evidence was collected and testimonies were collected from police officers and other civilians who were present in the area," DIP said. "At the end of the investigation, the police officers suspected of restrictive conditions were released.
The investigation is still ongoing. "
Documentation: Attack on MK Kasif during a demonstration in Sheikh Jarrah // Photo: Nitzan Ron
Last Friday, MK Kasif said that he was brutally attacked by police during a demonstration against Jewish settlement in the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood. "It did not help that I told them that I was a Knesset member and that I had immunity," MK Kasif said.
"They beat me mercilessly and broke my eyeglasses."
Eyewitnesses to the incident said: "Police officers who were at the scene during the demonstration attacked MK Kasif for no reason.
We saw him lying on the floor and the policemen beat him incessantly even though he told them, while absorbing the beatings, that he was a Member of Knesset.
We also tried to keep the policemen away and told them that it was a Knesset member, but they did not stop.
"Even if he said a derogatory word of one kind or another that was not said, that is not a reason for police officers to beat a Knesset member or any citizen in this way."
The same evening, the police said that a preliminary investigation of the incident revealed that during a protest in the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood and after its participants began to disturb the place and did not obey the police directive, a dispersal order was issued. The policeman was forced to use reasonable force to stop the attacker, as he did not identify himself during the incident and when it became clear that he was a Knesset member, he was released on the spot. Several policemen were injured and needed medical treatment.
"The Israel Police will continue to allow everyone the freedom of expression and the right to demonstrate, but we will not allow violent disturbance and we strongly condemn the violation of law enforcement officers. Doron Turgeman of the Jerusalem Brigade ordered an investigation into the incident."
